


Rest a While

by Suolainensilakka



Series: Snapshots [2]
Category: Hollow Knight (Video Games)
Genre: Fluff, Fluff without Plot, Found Family, Gen, Original Character(s), Platonic Cuddling, Platonic Relationships, honestly not even sure how to tag this its just a bunch of nerds taking a nap together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-16
Updated: 2020-07-16
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:08:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 839
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24902089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Suolainensilakka/pseuds/Suolainensilakka
Summary: “G’night, Prongs,” they mutter, voice muffled into their soft fuzz. They don’t hear a reply - not that they were expecting one in the first place - but the arm around their shoulders seems to tighten its hold into a protective shield.———The Gang has a small moment of respite.
Series: Snapshots [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1833826
Comments: 2
Kudos: 11





	Rest a While

**Author's Note:**

> SEE I SAID I WASNT DONE WRITING ABOUT THESE CHARACTERS YET LMAO
> 
> so. this one's a very short and sweet little treat, and one i mainly wrote as a warmup to get back into a writing mood. fun fact, this was the first time i had ever written fic of these characters - started and finished it just last month, actually! so yea that's also why there might be a few small continuity goofs and little differences between this and Lost and Found, at the time i was never actually expecting to end up writing SO MUCH character-heavy plot and such after this while i was scribbling this one down. still, it's a very cute moment that i wanted to post anyway.
> 
> hope y'all enjoy it as well!

Tap-tap-tap, goes the rain, steady and unchanging in its cheerful staccato rhythm as it bombards the ceiling above. The mass of sleeping bodies huddled close together shifts.

Slinky cracks an eye open, blinking at the dim lighting radiating from all around, and draws in a deep inhale as they wake further.

They get a lungful of soft wool for their efforts, and stifle a high-pitched sneeze.

They shift a little, and— that’s…

Ah. Somehow, Slinky’s face appears to have been smushed deep into Bow’s fur at some point in their sleep, the latter’s soft breaths punctuating the steady rise and fall of their chest as they doze.

Slinky backs away as slowly as they dare, lest they disturb the resting bug, and their back bumps against foreign carapace. They crane their neck to look behind them, and come face to face with a pale, blank mask peering at them with inky black eyes. Huh.

“Still awake?” Slinky murmurs up to the tall Vessel, voice tangling into fuzzy knots from sleep, and stretches their limbs as far as they can before colliding with the thick fabric of Prongs’ cloak.

The Vessel doesn’t speak, of course, but they incline their head to the side in a silent affirmation. Slinky nods back, in turn, and draws their coiling body back towards themself into a makeshift blanket. They peer around their surroundings, eyes now slightly better-adjusted to the dim blue glow of the City, and squint at the lumaflies dancing lazily within their lanterns.

Prongs still hasn’t moved from their position from before Slinky fell asleep, sitting cross-legged atop an iron bench near a tall glass window with water streaming down its surface and pattering against the roof as it drips from the cavern’s rocky ceiling. The Vessel’s arms are now held loosely at their sides, as if cradling the group of bugs curled into a loose pile within - their cloak forms an improvised tent, shielding the sleeping travelers from both onlookers and the cold alike. Slinky stifles a small laugh as they imagine what the whole group must look like, tangled all over each other as they rest from their latest adventure.

Someone’s foot bumps against Slinky’s side, and the caterpillar grunts in surprise before turning to glare at the culprit.

Mica’s soft snores rattle deep in her chest, and the wasp curls in around herself as she moves around in her sleep. Ah, simply adjusting her position, then. Still, Slinky rubs at the sore spot in their abdomen for a moment with a sour look, and releases a small sigh through the gaps in their mask.

Movement from the corner of their eye catches their attention, and Slinky turns their head to look at a clump of pink fabric buried tight within Bow’s fur.

The small child the group rescued earlier seems sound asleep, breaths coming and going in small puffs as they press their face against their living pillow. It’s certainly a notable improvement from their earlier frightened hiccups when the crew discovered the kid huddling inside a half-flooded apartment, surrounded by shambling husks of former nobles scattered among rotten furniture.

The child idly kicks at the air, the movement cushioned against soft fluff. Slinky watches them paw at Bow’s fur, and snorts under their breath when the child pulls two small tufts within a pair of tiny hands, bundled into haphazard clumps. Bow, for their part, seems entirely unbothered, and simply mutters something in their sleep as they nudge their glasses askew.

Propping themself up by the elbows, Slinky turns back to look at their silent guardian, finding them seemingly lost in thought as they stare out of the window beside them. A moment passes in peaceful silence with only the sound of soft rainfall to keep the group company, before Slinky softly clears their throat and watches the Vessel’s eyes snap towards them.

“You sure you can wait until we’ve all rested enough? You ain’t uncomfortable curled up all like that, are ya?” Slinky asks, tilting their head.

Prongs gives no outright indication of being bothered in the slightest, or even that they heard the question at all. They do, however, shift ever-so-slightly, adjusting their position to gently tuck Mica’s wings back inside their cloak-tent, careful not to wake the resting bodies pressed flat against their abdomen. Task completed, they turn their gaze back towards Slinky, expression unchanging but still giving the caterpillar a distinct impression of a raised eyebrow. Well, that answers that, then.

“Alright, point taken,” Slinky laughs under their breath, and rests their chin on their fur with a pleased sigh. They shut their eyes, focus on breathing slowly, and softly pat the Vessel’s arm in a silent thanks.

“G’night, Prongs,” they mutter, voice muffled into their soft fuzz. They don’t hear a reply - not that they were expecting one in the first place - but the arm around their shoulders seems to tighten its hold into a protective shield.

 _Rest easy,_ Slinky almost imagines the Vessel saying before they doze off again, _I’ll be here._


End file.
